The decomposing bodies of a fraudster granny and her innocent partner were found "black and rotten" by a group of Travellers, an inquest has heard.

The men made the discovery after entering a house in rural Limerick.

Gory details of the discovery of the bodies of Julia Holmes, 63, and father of two Thomas Ruttle, 53, last year, were heard at their inquest on Monday.

Medical evidence from a pathology report into the couple's deaths could not confirm how they died, but Coroner Antoinette Simon, said she accepted all of the evidence pointed to a "suicide pact".

Holmes, from Tyrone, was wanted by the FBI and the PSNI for a series of property frauds.

She had served time in jail in Texas for a $500,000 fraud.

Holmes, who was married to two other men when she tried to marry Mr Ruttle, who was not involved in her crimes, had falsely claimed she had cancer and ran up debts of €70,000 with local builders who had performed improvement works at the Ruttle home.

The Coroner said she was satisfied Holmes and Mr Ruttle both died of "an asphyxia type death due to carbon monoxide poisoning".

She ordered the inquest jury of seven men to find Mr Ruttle and Ms Holmes died "by suicide", as "no other verdict" could be recorded.

Sergeant Gearoid Thompson, gave evidence that "members of the Harty family", a Traveller clan from Askeaton, presented themselves at Newcastle West Garda station on May 18, 2015, in "an agitated and excited" state.

Sgt Thompson said Willie Harty Snr told him how "his family found two dead bodies upstairs" when they entered Mr Ruttle's house "looking for scrap metal".

Sgt Thompson said Pa Harty told him the bodies were "black and rotten".

When he went to the Ruttle farmhouse, Sgt Thompson found the electricity was off, and there was a "smell of dead bodies".

He found Mr Ruttle's semi-naked and "badly decomposed" body lying next to Julia Holmes.

"His skin was cracking and there was seeping blood," Sgt Thompson said.

State Pathologist, Professor Marie Cassidy gave evidence of examining the bodies at the scene, at the Ruttle farmhouse in Boolaglass, Askeaton.

She noted Mr Ruttle was "lying on his back with his right leg hanging over the bed".

Mr Ruttle's right foot was "resting" on a .22 rifle, which was loaded with two cartridges.

The rifle had not been fired, nor had another shotgun also found in the bedroom, the court heard.

There was no evidence of any trauma to either body, Prof Cassidy said.

She noted "mould" on Mr Ruttle's beard, face and hands, as well as the presence of "maggots" around both bodies.

Bottles of clear and red liquid, and half empty packets of Paracetamol and Nurofen were also found by the bed.

Julia Holmes, whose family did not attend the inquest, was located "face down" on the bed and "dressed in pyjamas".

"She had long black hair, and her eyes were dark," Prof Cassidy said.

Holmes and Mr Ruttle wore matching pendants around their necks and a Claddagh ring on each of their ring finger.

Mr Ruttle's sister Jane Gardner wept as she listened to the last moments of her beloved brother's life.

Her husband John Gardener thanked the jury and the Gardai.

The Coroner described the inquest as a "very upsetting day" for all concerned especially Mr Ruttle's two young sons who sat and heard "the most tragic of circumstances and saddening of situations".

She said she had "no intention" of reading out suicide notes, signed by Holmes and Mr Ruttle that were found in the house.

Mr Ruttle's children, who are studying for their Junior and Leaving Certificates, shed tears as they listened to the shocking evidence.

They were accompanied by their mother Lian, and grandparents Ted and Pauline Knight.

During the inquest, Mr Ruttle's ex partner Lian Knight asked the coroner if it was possible to determine who died first.

Prof Cassidy told her it was, "impossible to say".

Speaking afterwards, Ted Knight described the events as "horrific".

He described Holmes as a "vile, vile person".

Pauline Knight described Mr Ruttle, who had worked for her husband for many years, as "a gentleman".

"He was a very nice man. A great carpenter, great with his hands...brilliant," she said.

Ted Knight said his former employee had been "a wonderful man".

"He was a quiet unassuming man," he added.

"We are grandparents to his two boys. It was a terrible shock but there's nothing we can do about it," he said.

Mr Knight said today's verdicts meant some form of closure for the family, especially for Mr Ruttle's two sons..

"At least now they understand things a little bit better than they did, I think."

"I think they (have been) in shock. Today I think, clarified a lot of stuff for them."

Mr Knight said, the last time he saw Mr Ruttle, "he was in great form".

"He was a lovely guy to be with, a very quiet man, unassuming, no problems...A great man."

Mr Knight disagreed with any suggestion that Mr Ruttle was a gullible man who was easily taken in by Holmes.

"No. He was his own man. He did his own thing, and he was a lovely chap."